"I give 98 percent of my mental energy to Chess. Others give only 2 percent."

   Bobby Fischer

1) Batsaikan Tserendorj wins MI Summer TNM
2) Milman wins US Junior and Daniel Ludwig tops Cadet
3) 40 Years Ago at the US Open: Stephen Brandwein
4) IM Sevillano wins Wednesday Blitz
5) Boris Spassky in Reno
6) Shaughnessy and Bauer elected to USCF EB
7) Advanced Chess Camp starts next Monday
8) Upcoming Events

Late News - IM Enrico Sevillano leads the Mark Pinto IM norm event with 8/10 (one game left). IM Ganbold Odondoo finished with 7/11. FM David Pruess has 6 from 8 and IM Ricardo DeGuzman 5.5 from 8. A full report wil appear in Newsletter 203.

1) Batsaikan Tserendorj wins MI Summer TNM

NM Batsaikan Tserendorj drew his last round game with NM Igor Margulis to win the Mechanics' Summer Tuesday Night Marathon with a score of 7.5 from 9 and take home the $500 first prize. Tying for second in the 85-player field were fellow Mongolian Batchimeg Tuvshintugs and Margulis at 6.5 . The Robert Jordan Tuesday Night Marathon will start on August 17 and run until October 5 (8 rounds). Advance entry fee is $35.

2) Milman wins US Junior and Daniel Ludwig tops Cadet

Tournament Director Frank Berry sent in the following report on the recently concluded US Junior Invitational and Cadet (under 16) Championship. MI members Vinay Bhat (his first serious event in a couple years), Matthew Ho, Nicolas Yap and Alex Setzepfandt played.

USA Junior and Cadet Invitational, Lindsborg, Kansas

FM Lev Milman scored 6.5/9 and finished alone in first place in the 2004 USA Junior Open (U-21) held July 20-25 in Lindsborg, Kansas. 2003 Junior Open champ Salvijus Bercys of New York finished clear 2nd with 6 pts Mikhail Korenman organized the 10-RR that was held concurrently with the USA Cadet Invitational (U-16) which was won outright with 7.5/9 by Dan Ludwig of Orlando, FL, followed closely by Matt Ho and FM Igor Schneider each with 6.5 points. The winner of the Cadet won a college scholarship and the winner of the Junior gets seeded in the USA Championship.

USA Junior Invitational

Lev Milman f 2428 6.5 / 9
Salvijus Bercys 2279 6.0
Bruci Lopez f 2400 5.0
Josh Friedel f 2433 5.0
Matt Hoekstra f 2358 4.5
Daniel Rensch f 2384 4.0
Dmitry Schneider m 2454 4.0
Samson Benen f 2323 3.5
Dan Fernandez f 2317 3.5
Vinay Bhat m 2431 3.0

USA Cadet Invitational

Daniel Ludwig 7.5 / 9
Matt Ho 2242 6.5
Igor Scheider f 2266 6.5
Mack Molner 4.0
Kurt Schneider 4.0
Nicolas Yap 2191 3.5
Alex Setzepfandt 2167 3.5
Teddy Coleman f 2256 3.5
Elliott Liu 2132 3.0
Alex J Chua 2238 3.0

The following game was featured in Alexander Baburin's online daily Chess Today.

Setzepfandt,A - Liu,E
Sicilian B22
US Cadet 2004

1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 e6 6.cxd4 b6 7.Nc3 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Qc7 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 d6 11.Bf4 Nd7 12.Re1 Be7 13.d5 0-0 14.exd6 Bxd6 15.Bxd6 Qxd6 16.dxe6 Qxd1 17.Raxd1 Nf6 18.exf7+ Kh8 19.Ne5 Rac8 20.Rd3 Bd5 21.Bg4 Rc5

White is two pawns up and has a well-advanced pawn on f7. What's the best way to victory?

22.Ng6+! hxg6 23.Rh3+ 1-0

3) 40 Years Ago at the US Open: Stephen Brandwein

The following material on Mechanics' Chess Club employee Stephen Brandwein was kindly sent to us by longtime Boston Globe columnist Harold Dondis who notes in his cover letter "that the description of Steve still applies to a great extent". The column, the third of Dondis' career, appeared on October 11, 1964.

Stephen Brandwein, winner of the James Burgess trophy, is the highest placed Massachusetts player in the U.S. Open has favored us with a game annotated by him from that event. Brandwein is a unique figure in chess circles. He plays with airy unconcern, being apparently more taken with getting the game over with than winning. He plays at amazing speed and will upon the vaguest pretense of equilibrium, either offer or accept a draw. He has not lost a game for longer than we can remember.

Against John Collins in the U.S. Open, Brandwein accepted a draw with a superior position and with almost an hour ahead on his clock! He has an enormous knowledge of the openings, game not so much from study but from genuine interest in other peoples' games. Either there is method in his casualness or Brandwein is one of the more gifted player in the United States.

In the game below Brandwein makes a succession of three bad moves out of five, leaves a pawn en prise, saddles himself with a backward pawn but of course wins the game.

McKelvie,N - Brandwein,S
King's Indian [E78]
US Open Boston, 1964

Notes by Brandwein

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.f4 c5 7.Nf3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nbd7

As in Benko-Byrne, Chicago 1963.

9.Be3 a6 10.0-0 e5

Probably bad.

11.Nc2 exf4

Afraid of f5, g4 etc.

12.Bxf4 Ne5 13.Qd2 Be6 14.b3 b5

Very bad.

15.c5!

Crushes me. Much better than 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Bxb5 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Qb6+ when 18.Nd4 is bad and Black gets play after 18.Kh1 Qxb5 19.Nxd6 Qb6.

15...b4

I didn't see the pawn was en prise when I pushed it (whoever heard of a Knight on c2?), but it seems to be the best chance.

16.Nxb4 Qa5 17.Bxe5

17.cxd6 Qxb4 18.Bxe5 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 Qxd2 etc.. If 17.Qxd6 Qxb4 18.Bxe5 Ne8.

17...dxe5 18.Nd3 Rfd8 19.Qb2 Rd4 20.b4 Qc7 21.a3

21.b5 looks more energetic. The e-pawn is held by an eventual Bf3.

21...Rb8 22.Rad1

Trading the e-pawn for the a-pawn is a bad idea. Nf2 looks possible.

22...Nxe4 23.Nxe4 Rxe4 24.Nf2 Re3 25.Bxa6 e4

The Queen really has no place to go and the a-pawn is lost.

26.Qc1 Rc3 27.Qg5 h6 28.Qh4 Rxa3 29.b5?

Loses a piece, but if 29.Be2 Rxb4 probably best is 30.Rd6 and if 30...Bf8 31.Rxe6 with interesting play.

29...e3 30.Ne4

A whole Rook now goes.

30...e2 31.b6 exf1Q+ 32.Bxf1

32.Kxf1 Qe5 33.Rd8+ loses. Also, White gets mated if he tries to get 2 queens.

32...Qc8

32...Qc6 is much better.

33.Bb5 Bf5 34.c6

Now iIf 34...Bxe4 then 35.c7.

34...Qe6

This ends it, Rd8+ again loses. The Queen restrains the pawns by threatened check at b6

0-1

Steve, who was 21 when this game was played, was top Expert at the 1964 US Open with a score of 8 1/2 from 12. The October rating of 1964 has him at 2271 and not long after he cracked the Top 50 list at 2302. He retired from tournament play in the mid-1960 but never lost his interest in studying the game or his passion for blitz.

4) IM Sevillano wins Wednesday Blitz

Visiting IM Enrico Sevillano of Las Vegas won a strong blitz tournament at the MI last Wednesday with a score of 10.5 from 11. Mongolian IM Ganbold Odondoo and countryman NM Batsaikan Tserendorj tied for second at 9 in the 12-player round robin. A blitz event will be held tonight starting at 7pm. Entry fee is $5.

5) Boris Spassky in Reno

Former World Champ is coming to Reno, Nevada, to be part of 22nd Annual Reno-Western States Open (Oct 15-17). More details for the tournament can be found in CHESS LIFE and on http://www.nwchess.com/

Spassky's schedule is as follows:
(All events at the Sands Regency Hotel/Casino)

Oct 13 (Wed) 8:30pm - "An Evening with Boris". $30 (includes dinner). Reservations required.

Oct.14 (Thurs.) (6pm-7:15pm GM Larry Evans free lecture which will be about Boris Spassky) ; [7:30pm Blitz (5-min) tourney]; 7:30 pm Gm Boris Spassky (25 board) Simul ($100, includes a commemorative pen) spectator fee: $5 *.

Oct. 15 (Fri) Boris Spassky-Book Signing Session (free) 10-11 am.

Oct. 16 (Sat) Boris Spassky- Clinic (4:30 pm - 6pm) spectator fee: $10 *

Oct. 17 (Sun) Boris Spassky- "Clash of the Titans" film(Bobby Fischer vs. Boris Spassky) will be shown followed by a question & answer session with GM Boris Spassky & Gm Larry Evans. Spectator fee: $10 * * Players who are playing in main tournament receive free attendance to these 3 Spassky events.

6) Shaughnessy and Bauer elected to USCF EB

Elizabeth Shaughnessy of Berkeley and NM Randy Bauer of Iowa were elected to the USCF Executive Board for one year terms and will be welcome additions.

Final vote subject to confirmation by the USCF Delegates:

Shaughnessy 712
Bauer 687
Sloan 349
Korenman 305
Huff 197
Praeder 161

A detailed breakdown of the voting can be found at http://www.uschess.org/2004resultseb-del.php

Sadly only around 1200 of the approximately 45,000 (age 16 and over) USCF members eligible to vote bothered to do so. Perennial gadfly Sam Sloan who use to finish dead last in previous campaigns continues to improve in each election. Judging from this result he stands a pretty good chance of being elected next time around, especially in a race where more than two spots are being contested. Voters sent a clear message to organizer extraordinaire Mikhail Korenman (US Junior Closed, US Junior Open, US Cadet, College Final Four, College Pan American Championship - just in 2004!) that they didn't want to waste his talents by sending him to New Windsor.

7) Advanced Chess Camp to start soon

Spots are still open for the 4th Annual, MI Advanced Chess Camp which is open to all ages.

Advanced Players (1200-2200)

This is not a camp for players that want to jump two rating classes in five days. You won't learn how to win against the Sicilian every time using the Grand Prix Attack. So why our camp and not others? At the MI camp you will get a look inside a GM's laboratory and get a feel for how they work on their game from the ground up. You will learn not only the importance of analyzing your own games, but also how to do it properly. You will learn to identify the critical points of the game and to understand when and why things went wrong.

You will learn how to use ChessBase and Fritz efficiently as part of a daily training program as well as utilizing resources on the Internet such as TWIC and the Internet Chess Club. Today chess books are cranked out at an incredible rate. Some of them are very good, many are quite bad. We will help students learn to select that which is truly useful.

On the fun side our instructors have unique experience in international competition. Expect to hear stories and anecdotes about what it's like to play against Kasparov and defend first board in a Chess Olympiad. Instructors: Grandmaster Alex Yermolinsky, International Master John Donaldson, and MI Scholastic Director Anthony Corrales.

Who: Open to all ages from 8 and up.
When : August 2-6, from 10 am to 5 pm
Where: 57 Post Street, 4th floor (Montgomery BART station)
Cost: $320 for Mechanics' members, $355 for junior (under 21) non-members, $405 for adult non-members. All non-members will receive a one year membership in the MI. There is a limit of 40 players for this camp. If you can't attend the whole camp there is a drop in fee of $80 a day.

8) Upcoming Events

Upcoming Tournaments at the MI

Vladimir Pafnutieff Memorial - August 21
Howard Donnelly Memorial - Sept. 18
J.J Dolan Memorial - October 2
Carroll Capps Memorial - November 6-7
Pierre Saint-Amant - November 20
Guthrie McClain Memorial - December 5 (Sunday)
Jim Hurt Under 1800 - December 11-12

Mechanics' Institute Scholastic Quads 2004 Tournaments: July 24 Open to players age 18 and under (Limited to first 80 players) Game/45

Rounds : 10:30am, 12:15pm, 2:00pm Late Registration: 9:30am - 10:15am Open: to the first eighty players Note: Quads based on rating. USCF Rated. Unrated players face each other. You must be a USCF member to play in the quads. Time Control: Game in 45 minutes Entry Fee: $20 / $30 day of tournament/ $15 for MI members Checks payable to Mechanics' Chess Club Prizes: Trophies for the winners of each quad.

California Events

Aug. 28 & 29: Sacramento Chess Club Weekend Swiss #13 GPP: 6 N. California
4SS, 30/90, G/1, SD/5, Full-K. The Learning Exchange, 1111 Howe Avenue, Suite 125, Sacramento, CA. Reg: 8:30-9:30am 8/28/04. Rds: 10 & 3:30. Sections: Master/Expert (2000+), Reserve (1600-1999), Amateur (Under 1600). EF: $45 (Juniors $30) postmarked by 8/21. $55 (Juniors $35) after 8/21. IMs/GMs free. Entrants may play up at $10 per section. $5 discount to CalChess members. Prizes: 1st Place Master/Expert $175 (guaranteed) & trophy, 2nd Place Master/Expert $125 (guaranteed). $$1,570 b/o 50 full paid adult entries and 10 full paid junior entries overall. HR: Best Western Expo Inn, (916) 922-9833 or 1-800-643-4422. Ask for the Sacramento Chess Club rates. Adv. Ent./Info: John McCumiskey (TD), 6700 50th St, Sacramento, CA 95823-1306; e-mail: sactochess@sacramentochessclub.org; phone: (916) 428-5532, checks payable to Sacramento Chess Club. Full flyer including complete prize list at http://sacramentochessclub.org/ on the Weekend Events page. Other Info: 8/04 rating list only. Please bring clocks and equipment. ? point byes available all rounds. ? point byes for round 4 must be requested prior to round 1. Players may only have one bye (? or 1 point) in the event. W.

A Heritage Event!
Sept. 4-6 26th Annual Southern California Open GPP: 100 S. California
40/2, SD/1, 2?-day schedule rds 1-2 G/60. Burbank Airport Hilton, 2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank CA 91505 (adjacent to Burbank Airport). $$20,000 b/300, 50% of each prize guaranteed, U1400/unrated count as 2/3 entry. In two sections: Open: $$T+3000-2000-1600-900-600-400-200, U2400 800-500, U2300 500, U2200 1000-500, U2000 $$1000-500. $200 (G) bonus to clear first. Amateur (Under 1800): $$T+1500-750-500-300, U1600 $$1000-600-300-200, U1400 $$500-300, U1200 300, Unr 250. Unr. may win Unr. prize only in Amateur. Best game prize $50, all sections eligible. All: half-point byes available in rounds 1-4 if requested with entry, limit 2. SCCF membership req. ($12, jr. $7.50), OSA. No checks or credit cards at door. SCCF Annual Membership Meeting: 2:30pm Sept. 5. Reg: 3-day 8-9:30am 9-4, 2?-day closes 6pm 9-4. Rds: 3-day 10:30-5 Sat, 10-4:30 Sun-Mon, 2?-day: 6:30-8:45pm 9-4, then merges. EF: $99 if rec?d by 9/2, $101 on line at http://www.westernchess.com/, $120 door; U1400/unrated $64 by 9/2, $66 on line, $80 door. Ent: SCCF, c/o John Hillery, 835 N. Wilton Pl. #1, Los Angeles CA 90038. HR: $89, (818) 843-6000 or (800) 840-6450. Be sure to mention Western Chess. Parking $7/day. Info: admin@westernchess.com. W, FIDE. State Championship Qualifier.

National Events